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Are you considering a grammar school for your child's secondary education?
There are over 160 grammar schools in the UK, with some counties more densely populated with grammar schools than others (Kent alone is home to nearly 40!).
If you're looking to compare grammar schools in your area, it can be difficult to know where to start. We've done the research for you and collated information about the best grammar schools in the UK, including the latest exam results and details on each school's 11 plus process.
What is a grammar school?
A grammar school is a secondary school in the UK that accepts pupils based on their academic ability. This means that pupils will sit an entrance exam known as the 11 plus when they are in Year 6. The pupils with the highest scores will then be eligible for a place at the school in Year 7.
Unlike private (independent) schools, grammar schools are funded by the state – so there's no cost for parents. Most grammar schools provide high-quality teaching in a range of subjects and offer a great range of facilities for extracurricular activities, such as music and sport.
Getting into a grammar school is designed to be challenging, so competition can be high – particularly in more densely-populated areas such as London.
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The 100 best grammar schools in the UK
The list below ranks grammar schools based on their A level and GCSE results in 2022. This information was published by the Sunday Times in December 2022.
Girls | A level: 97.3% A*–B | GCSE: 98.8% A*/A/9/8/7
Free 11+ practice paper bundle
English, maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning papers
Mirrors the content and format of most grammar school exams
Answer key and parents' guide
Boys | A level: 83.1% A*–B | GCSE: 82.2% A*/A/9/8/7
Find grammar schools near you
The top 10 grammar schools in the UK
1. The Henrietta Barnett School
© en.wikipedia.org
The Henrietta Barnett School is an all-girls grammar school with academy status in Hampstead Garden Suburb, North London. It was founded in 1911 by Dame Henrietta Barnett, who wished to improve girls' education based on their natural ability rather than family finances.
Henrietta Barnett has been ranked the best girls' grammar school on several occasions, topping the state schools league table for its outstanding academic results (consistently well above the national average). Girls leave Henrietta Barnett for prestigious university destinations including Oxbridge, UCL, King's College London and LSE.
In 2022, The Henrietta Barnett School was awarded the title 'Top Secondary School for Academic Performance' by the Sunday Times.
Entry to The Henrietta Barnett School
Girls hoping to secure a Year 7 place at The Henrietta Barnett School take a two-stage 11 plus test. The first test involves verbal and numerical ability papers, after which shortlisted candidates take English and maths tests set by the school.
2. QE Barnet
© telegraph.co.uk
QE Barnet (Queen Elizabeth's School) is a boys' London grammar school founded by royal charter in 1573 in Barnet, North London. Students are referred to locally as Elizabethans.
QE Barnet offers an intellectually rigorous academic programme to its students. Boys study traditional and modern subjects alongside enrichment opportunities, which includes lectures from notable guests and 'symposia' – collaborative research events in partnership with academically-strong girls' schools in the area.
Entry to QE Barnet
Applicants to Queen Elizabeth's School sit the 11 plus exam in September of Year 6. Candidates take written papers in English and maths.
3. Wilson's School
© yourlocalguardian.co.uk
Wilson's School is an all-boys grammar school with academy status in Sutton, southwest London. It was originally founded by royal charter in Camberwell (South London) in 1615, making it one of the oldest state schools in England. Wilson's School was named 'London Secondary School of the Decade' by the Sunday Times in 2020.
Students at Wilson's School study a wide range of subjects alongside an enrichment programme which aims to widen each boy's personal development. Named 'The Elizabethan', the programme has three strands – political, cultural and public speaking – and prepares students for life in modern Britain.
Entry to Wilson's School
Boys hoping to secure a place in Year 7 will need to take the 11 plus entrance exam while in Year 6. As a Sutton grammar school, Wilson's School uses the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET), after which shortlisted pupils take the school's own English and maths papers.
4. The Tiffin Girls' School
© tiffingirls.org
The Tiffin Girls' School is an all-girls selective school in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London. It is the sister school to the boys-only Tiffin School, which was established in the 17th century.
The school's vision is to provide 'an intellectually stimulating and outward-facing school, enabling students to flourish and contribute to society.' The Tiffin Girls' School excels in its provision of community outreach and charitable initiatives and in 2016, the school was a local winner of the Pupil Premium Awards due to its attainment and value-added progress of disadvantaged students.
Entry to The Tiffin Girls' School
Girls who are hoping to secure a place in Year 7 at The Tiffin Girls' School take a two-stage entrance exam in the year before entry. The first stage consists of English and maths tests set by GL Assessment and the second stage consists of English and maths papers written by the school.
5. Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
© aggs.bright-futures.co.uk
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (commonly abbreviated as AGGS) is a girls' grammar school in Bowdon, Greater Manchester and was awarded the title 'Northwest Secondary School of the Year' in 2022 by the Sunday Times. It was established in 1910 as part of the 1902 Education Act, which aimed to build new schools with enhanced education for girls. With over 1,300 students on roll, it is the largest single-sex grammar school in England.
AGGS was one of the first schools in the country to be designated a National Teaching School, and it leads in many subjects including maths, science, PSHE and modern foreign languages. The school is a member of the Bright Futures Educational Trust.
Entry to Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Girls hoping to secure a place in Year 7 at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls take entrance exams which assess skills in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths.
6. Pate's Grammar School
© patesgs.org
Pate's Grammar School is a mixed-sex school with academy status founded in 1574 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. In 2020, it was named the Sunday Times ‘State Secondary School of the Year’ and was awarded the title 'The Southwest Secondary School of the Year' in both 2017 and 2022.
The Pate's school community has a shared vision of 'Nurturing Excellence' through 'Embracing Challenge', 'Supporting Each Other' and 'Shaping the Future'. The school is proud of its exceptional pastoral care of both students and staff and outlines its focus on relationships and respect, rather than rules, in its 2025 vision.
Entry to Pate's Grammar School
Students hoping to join Pate's Grammar School in Year 7 will take the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Test in Year 6. Candidates take two papers which include questions in reading comprehension, vocabulary, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths.
7. St Olave's Grammar School
© tes.com
St Olave's Grammar School is a selective state school for boys with a mixed sixth form in Orpington, southeast London. It was founded by royal charter in 1571 and is a beneficiary of the St Olave's and St Saviour's Schools Foundation.
'Olavians' (the name given to pupils at St Olave's) have high aspirations and leave the school for prestigious universities in the UK and beyond. In the last four years, 130 Olavians have secured Oxbridge places, with 102 and 171 boys going on to study engineering and medicine respectively.
Entry to St Olave's Grammar School
Boys applying to St Olave's Grammar School for Year 7 entry take the school's own Selective Eligibility Test (SET) in the September of Year 6. This consists of questions in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Candidates are then shortlisted for second-stage tests in English and maths.
8. King Edward VI Grammar School
© kegs.org.uk
King Edward VI Grammar School is a boys' grammar school with a co-educational sixth form in Chelmsford, Essex. It was founded through a royal warrant from King Edward VI in 1551 and maintains a consistently excellent academic reputation, driven by a strong focus on academic achievement and a serious work ethic. It was named 'East Anglia Secondary School of the Year 2022' by the Sunday Times.
Beyond the classroom, pupils at KEGS get involved in a wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs and activities. Some of the many opportunities include orchestras, choirs and ensembles, drama productions and musicals, local and national fixtures in a wide range of sports, the Combed Cadet Force (CCF) and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Entry to King Edward VI Grammar School
Boys applying for Year 7 entry to King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford take an 11 plus test set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE). This includes papers in English and maths.
9. Colyton Grammar School
© twitter.com/colytongrammar
Colyton Grammar School is a co-educational school in Devon. It was founded in 1546 'for the goodly and virtuous education of children forever' and continues to provide an outstanding free education to academically-able boys and girls.
Colyton Grammar School describes itself as an inclusive school built on meritocracy. Children work hard, with the overwhelming majority of pupils progressing to the country's top higher education institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music.
Entry to Colyton Grammar School
Year 7 candidates for Colyton Grammar School take two 11 plus papers which include questions that test verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability.
10. Colchester Royal Grammar School
© academicadvisors.com
Colchester Royal Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in the city of Colchester, Essex. It was founded in 1206, making it one of the oldest schools in the country, and was granted Royal Charters from both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Unusually for state schools, boarding is available for sixth formers.
In 2022, The Sunday Times named Colchester Royal Grammar School the East Anglia State School of the Decade. The school is praised for its impressive facilities, exam results, and extensive extracurricular programme.
Entry to Colchester Royal Grammar School
Boys applying for Year 7 entry to Colchester Royal Grammar School take the CSSE 11 plus exam. There are two written papers – both set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex – which assess English and maths.
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